Bike theft is growing in the capital (at around 10% per year) while car theft, for example, is falling (at around 10% per year). It seems that the Bike to Work scheme has increased the value of bikes thus making bike theft more lucrative. Furthermore bike theft appears NOT to be a risky activity from the thief’s perspective: conviction rates seem to be as low as 1%. At this special Dublin Cycling Campaign (DCC) meeting, DCC member David Timoney will speak about the initial results of his research and analysis of the problem and he will propose a plan to tackle bike theft in Dublin based on his examination of best practice from abroad. He plans to cover: (i) the current situation in Ireland in terms of the size of the problem, under-reporting and current actions to prevent / deter bike theft; (ii) a case study of the Netherlands: their policy on bike theft & the results so far; (iii) a draft plan for Dublin.

If we are to turn Dublin into a bicycle paradise - as is the mission of Dublin Cycling Campaign! - then we need to address bicycle theft in a serious and systematic way. We all know how upsetting it is when a decent and much loved bike disappears. We hope to see you at this special meeting and to hear your ideas on how we can lead the charge in tackling this problem. Meeting starts at 8pm - ALLWELCOMEASALWAYS

Bio of David Timoney
Having had about one bike stolen per year over the past six to seven years, Dublin Cycling Campaign member David Timoney feels he is well qualified to address the topic of bike theft. The latest loss was an €800 mountain bike, stolen from around 50m away from a cafe in Temple Bar where he was meeting someone from Dublin City Council to discuss bike theft. Ouch!!! He commutes by bike and is a regular sports cyclist in the Wicklow mountains. He lived in France for many years where he clocked up many miles, but also had a couple of bikes stolen there too - so it’s not just Dublin that has a problem! David’s suspicion is that it is simply too easy and lucrative for the bike thieves in Dublin these past few years - and we need to make bike theft a more difficult and riskier activity.